The role of electroporation

Abstract

A therapeutical application of electrical current to cardiac tissue for reviving the normal function (defibrillation, pacing) or for ablating pathological conduction pathways inevitably has to take into account the phenomenon of electroporation, the electric field-induced rupture of sarcolemma that is usually evidenced by a drastic unselective increase in cell membrane permeability to small ions and large molecules. This chapter describes some aspects of this phenomenon in relation to cardiac therapy and research. Particularly, it provides evidences that (1) electroporation of the heart tissue can occur during clinically relevant intensities of the external electrical field and (2) electroporation can affect the outcome of defibrillation therapy, being both pro-and antiarrhythmic. © 2009 Springer US.